I am going to South Affica later in the year and plan on doing at least one safari.
I would like a really good pair of Binoculars but don't understand the numbers. i.e:
10 x 42 Roof Prism Binoculars
8 x 21 Binoculars
LX 8 x 42 Binoculars
The first number is the magnification. The second number is the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. So 10 x 42 means the binoculars would magnify the image to make it appear 10 times closer and the objective lens is 42 millimeters in diameter. The most popular binoculars are 8 power because the image remains fairly steady and they tend to have a wide field of view (how much you can see in the binoculars). 10 power are more difficult to hold steady. The image has a tendency to giggle because of hand motion. There is another number that is important but is not published so prominently. That is eye relief. It is the distance from the eye piece that your eye can be and still see the complete field of view. 18 mm is considered excellent. If you wear glasses at least 16 mm is necessary. Roof prism binoculars have become very popular these last 10 years. The tend to be fog proof and water proof. They are also more compact. The larger objective lens lets more light in and results in a brighter image. That is not too important except at twilight. A wider field of view allows one to acquire the target much easier because one can see more.
I do not know how much you wish to spend on a pair. For a one trip affair I guess I would not recommend spending a whole lot.
Here are some decent pairs that should serve you well.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/bushnell/bushnell-h20-8x42-roof-prism-binocular
These are reasonably priced. They have decent eye relief of 17 mm and a decent field of view although not the best. They are fog proof and water proof.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-denali-8x42-roof-prism-binocular
This pair is about twice as expensive. The field of view is considerably greater
This pair is more compact with a 28 mm objective lens instead of the 40 mm. Also lighter.
You could spend much more on a pair, but unless you are an avid birder it is probably better to save your cash to buy beer.
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